First Impressions: Doctor Who Series Eight

All right, after the three episode try, I have breached the acceptable level at which to rant about Doctor Who series eight. I think it best to put two clear cards out on the table in all fairness before I officially begin this review, in order to create a space of comfort and understanding.

1. Steven Moffat wrote “Blink.”

2. I own Tardis pants.

Great, now that we understand one another, let us discuss what the hell Moffat is doing to Who.

All right children of Gallifrey, let us be calm before we blame it all on Moffat, because we all know “Love and Monsters” happened. Therefore let us look beyond the creed of “Moffat must be DELETED,” and instead discuss why and to what means Doctor Who is falling apart.

Episode one, was in simplest terms a hot mess. It opens with Madame Vastra and Jenny, openly married thank you BBC, and of course our beloved Strax, which is all good and well, and then BOOM: dinosaur in 18th century England.

STOP TRYING TO MAKE DINOSAURS HAPPEN MOFFAT, THEY AREN’T GOING TO HAPPEN!

Indeed Doctor Who has changed, but what are these changes and why are they messing with our SHOW! I think the general consensus of the Whovian Hermits United area of thought, is that BBC is taking the identity of Who too liberally. This meaning that yes the show is silly, and yes, the villains are somewhat obscene, and yes, there are liberties that one can take with the specifics of the wibbly wobbly, but it is becoming clear that the creators of Doctor Who are losing sight of what makes the show beautiful.

Doctor Who is not wholly a children’s program, as it is recently been made out to be. I mean honestly I saw the plot of Episode two in “The Magic School Bus” when Ralphie has the sniffles.

The show is beloved because of its depth, its darkness that is masked in bravery and humor but never completely extinguishing the light and soul of hope. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is so far, although I am in love with his acting, that of a mediocre and grumpy old man.

I can see how Moffat may be using this Doctor to finally portray the Doctor as having given up his youthful and whimsical front, and finally being the man that he ought to be after all that he has been through, but this is not the Doctor.

Matt Smith’s Doctor was young and quirky, but what happened to make the Doctor do a 180? The Doctor has always been the man that never takes up a gun. The man that loves everyone and treats every living thing with the same justice and compassion. However this Doctor steals a jacket from a poor man on the street, and lies to a soldier so that he dies unknowingly to save the others.

Just because you have the Doctor cut the Dalek brain-tube and randomly insert his memories, SERIOUSLY you could have tried to explain this one just a little, and the Dalek says he sees “HAAATRIIIIIIID,” does not explain why this Doctor has forgotten the past 900 years of his life.

The Doctor is always a different man: great. So please explain to us why he is acting like a little brat. Why he is treating Clara like crap, and why has forgotten his moral code, and why he chose this own name, WHEN HE JUST SAVED GALLIFREY?!

The 50th Anniversary to me seemed to open up the door to a more hopeful and optimistic Doctor. A Doctor who can finally forgive himself and pursue his home! We are three episodes in, and “Robot of Sherwood,” thank you Mr. Gatiss, is the first glimmer of character development that has appeared thus far.

Doctor Who has always operated on a suspension of disbelief, but you cannot just throw a woman named Missy in “Heaven” in a ridiculous manner, and expect everyone to just say, “Yeah, alright. I have no idea where that came from but jolly good eh!”

All in all, I along with countless others am not impressed. Just because Doctor Who has made it big does not mean it can go down the pooper. I have seen this happen to too many shows, but not this show…not this show. So pick it up already, and write in the name of the DOCTOR!